Concrete Angel
by Snaperocks
Summary: Harry was abused his whole life and always hid it. His friends and family find out but its already to late. *Tissue Warning*


Concrete Angel

_**He goes to school with his wand in his pack**_

_**Nobody Knows what he's holding back**_

Harry walked onto the platform 9 3/4, his face was kept determinedly blank. He greeted his friends with a fake smile and winced as Ron and Hermione hugged him.

_**Wearing the same robes that he wore last year**_

_**He hides the bruises on his body in fear**_

He was wearing a muggle sweatshirt but he quickly changed into his old Hogwarts robes in the bathroom of the train as soon as he could. He didn't want to risk changing in front of anyone. He shuddered to think what his uncle would say if he found out Harry had accidentally let someone see the bruises.

_**The teachers wonder but they never ask**_

_**Its hard to see the pain behind the mask**_

During meals in the Great Hall he could feel the teachers watching him but he avoided eye contact with everyone whenever possible. His mind flashed to his last weeks potions lesson: Harry had dropped his textbook on the floor and in his hurry to get it, his sleeve got caught on the desk and was pulled up to his elbow, clearly exposing the hand shaped bruises there. He had panicked and fought to pull his sleeve down. When Harry looked up he saw Professor Snape eyeing his arm suspiciously. The eyes then moved to his face which was still terrified looking. The Potions Master continued to study Harry throughout class but he never made a move to question him about the bruises. Harry kept a neutral face until he was out of his professors sight and made a point to avoid him for the rest of the day.

_**Carrying the burden of a secret storm**_

_**Sometimes he wishes he was never born**_

Harry wished he didn't have to lie to people when they asked how he was. He hated lying. Especially to his friends. Sometimes he wished his parents had never had him. He

wouldn't have to go through this hell called life. There was too much pain here and really hated it. Hogwarts was simply a temporary escape but he still couldn't be himself for fear that his secret would be discovered. After all, Uncle Vernon would kill him if Harry let anyone know about the abuse at the Dursleys.

_**Through the wind and the rain**_

_**He stands hard as a stone **_

_**In a world that he can't fight against**_

Harry had learned long ago that he was practically powerless against the abuse from his uncle. The only time he ever told somebody was in primary school. His teacher had called Child Services who had done an investigation. His uncle had lied his way through the whole thing and Harry was severely beaten for telling. He never told anyone again. Instead he created his mask, insisted that he fine when somebody asked about him and always mentally monitored his facial expressions. He rarely let his real emotions show. If they did it was usually by accident.

_**But his dreams give him wings**_

_**And he flies to a place where he's loved**_

_**Concrete Angel**_

When his dreams were not plagued with nightmares of his uncle, Sirius's death, or Voldemort he dreamed of his parents. How his father would bend down and and swing him around like he and Sirius used to. Then his mother would hug him and kiss his forehead. They would say how much they missed him and how glad they were that they were together again. Then Sirius would join them and swing Harry around before hugging him tightly. Harry knew that this was where he was loved.

_**Someone cries in the middle of the night**_

_**His roommates here but they turn out the lights**_

Even after his good dreams, Harry usually woke in the middle of the night crying. He knew that he sometimes woke his roommates because Ron usually came over to comfort him until he fell asleep again. He thought it was simply stress or that he was still upset about his godfather's death. Other years it was thought that he was homesick or he missed his parents. But it was, in fact, either memories his uncle's abuse or sadness that the good dreams that he had were just that, dreams.

_**A fragile caught in the hands of fate**_

_**When morning comes it will be too late**_

Harry always wondered what he had done to make his uncle hate him so much. He was just 16. A very small 16 year old at that. Many people mistook him for a 12 or 13 year old. Even some first years were bigger than him. But everyone adored him anyway. This

just made Harry sad.

"They should see me after Uncle Vernon's beatings if they think I'm so bloody cute." He muttered.

He was unaware that Malfoy had heard him and had gone to Professor Snape. He knew that he had already seen the bruises on the little boy's arms and was the only one he would willingly talk to anyway. They both decided that once school started again in the fall Malfoy would try to catch Harry putting on the concealment charms they knew he wore in his face.

_**Through the wind and the rain**_

_**He stands hard as a stone **_

_**In a world that he can't fight against**_

Soon everyone was getting ready to get on the trains back home. Harry was utterly miserable. It was easily noticed by both Malfoy and Snape that he was acting as if it was the last time he would ever see his friends again, but other than that his face was emotionless. That is, until he saw his uncle. Malfoy could tell that the little boy was scared. He was very pale and began trembling when his uncle grabbed his arm roughly. He bent down to whisper something to him and shook Harry slightly when he didn't immediately respond. If he were a Gryffindor he would have gone over and stunned the bastard but he wasn't. He was a Slytherin and simply observed.

That summer was the worst Harry ever had in his life. His uncle had found out that Sirius was dead and the beatings became hundreds of times worse. He was beaten several times a day and never fed. About a week before September 1st, Uncle Vernon began deliberately beating him until he lost consciousness. Harry knew he wouldn't make it back to Hogwarts, he could feel his body dying. He could no longer keep himself warm and could barely move. The day he should have gone back to school, his uncle beat him so badly that he was dead before dawn the next day. This was how Professor Snape found him.

_**But his dreams give him wings**_

_**And he flies to a place where he's loved**_

_**Concrete Angel**_

Snape felt tears fall down his face as he held the body of his littlest student in his arms. He carefully wrapped him up in a cloak with a heavy heart he returned to Hogwarts in time to walk into the Great Hall during breakfast. The moment he stepped through the doors silence fell. Dumbledore stared at him in disbelief before running down the hall to meet them. He stopped barely a foot away from them and stared at the wrapped bundle in horror. He didn't need to see his face to know who Snape was carrying. There was only one person in the school that was small enough to easily fit into the teachers arms. Dumbledore gently took the bundle from Snape's arms and slowly uncovered his face.

"Oh Merlin, Harry NO!" Dumbledore whispered brokenly. He carefully pushed a strand of

ebony hair from the child's pale face as though he might shatter at any moment.

"Little one, what have I let them do to you?" He kissed the little boy's forehead and turned to find Professor McGonnigal crying into her handkerchief beside him.

"Minerva, Severus, would you and the other heads of houses please escort the students to their dorms? Classes will be canceled until further notice." he chocked out weakly,

"Meet me in the hospital wing after."

They nodded and watched the headmaster walk out of the Great Hall with the precious little bundle that was Harry's body.

_**A statue stands in a shaded place**_

_**An angel boy with an upturned face**_

It was quiet and soothing here. There were magnolia trees shading three white marble headstones that rested at the base of one huge oak tree. The smallest and newest of them had a tiny angel statue that bared a remarkable resemblance to the child buried beneath it. Many people were gathered around it. All of Harry's friends and adopted family, the Order, the professors, and many older students that looked has after him in one way or another had attended the funeral. Though many of them had long returned to Hogwarts, his family, closest friends and the teachers were still present, including Ron and the Weasleys, Hermione, Malfoy, Neville, Seamus, Dean, Remus, Tonks, Dumbledore, McGonnigal, and Snape. Snape and Malfoy had told how they tried to investigate the abuse without confronting Harry as he would surely have been scared if they had. Everyone thanked them for trying and for seeing what they had not.

_**His name is written on a polished rock**_

_**A broken heart that the world forgot**_

Hermione and Ron knelt down in front of the newly dug grave. Ron slowly reached out and traced the words carved into the cool marble while Hermione added more flowers to the already large pile in front of it. She looked at Ron's miserable and tear streaked face as he stared at the white marble carvings he had been tracing.

_Harry James Potter _

_July 31, 1980 -- September 2, 1996_

_A beloved son, godson, best-friend, student, and baby brother._

_May you be watched over and never be alone again._

Hermione smiled at this but frowned when she felt that something was missing. Ron seemed to be thinking the same thing because he took out his wand and carved more words beneath the original inscription.

_We all love you little one_

_We will miss you so much and will never forget you_

More tears fell down their faces and Hermione kissed the headstone softly before she gently lifted Ron to his feet and backed away to let the others near it. They thought of the public memorial that had been held for 'The Boy Who Lived'. The people that were there were mourning the loss of their savior, not the innocent and scared little boy that Harry had been. They didn't know the child that always seemed to attract some kind of trouble or who was horrible at chess or had stuck treacle tart into all of his dorm mates hair as an April Fools joke. None of them really remembered Harry at all.

_**Through the wind and the rain**_

_**He stands hard as a stone **_

_**In a world that he can't fight against**_

Harry watched silently as the last of the mourners returned to Hogwarts. He had been surprised that Professor Snape and Draco Malfoy had showed up at the private funeral. He was grateful that they had tried to do something about the abuse even if it didn't really help. He also didn't blame the others for not noticing anything. After all he had tried his best to hide it and he had years of practice. He knew his friends and family probably would have done something if they had seen the bruises and Ron and Hermione would have freaked. He smiled at the inscription that was on his grave. They just had to mention the word 'little' and 'baby' there. He didn't really mind he just sometimes got touchy about his size. He felt much better than he had in years. He was still very small and even more child-like than before but he had no bruises or scars to hide anymore. Best of all, there was no more pain to deal with, mental of physical.

_**But his dreams give him wings**_

_**And he flies to a place where he's loved**_

_**Concrete Angel**_

He heard his name being called from behind him and he turned to see his parents and Sirius grinning at him in welcome. Sirius bent down and held his arms out while shouting happily,

"Come 'mere kiddo!"

Harry smiled and ran to his godfather and squealed and laughed when Sirius swung him around before hugging him tightly. When he was finally released he ran to his parents and hugged both of them. His mother kissed his forehead while his father brushed his fingers through his black hair that he had been cursed with since birth.

"We love you so much buddy, we missed you." his dad said as he picked him up easily. His mum smiled and kissed him again.

"Time to go home sweetheart."

He was finally home.

This is my first fanfiction I posted on this site. R&R!!


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